World Champion Singleton Excited by International Paralympic Day

"There is going to be a lot of people there and it’s going to be great to show the British public what Paralympic Sport has to offer. I hope it builds excitement levels ahead of next year."

World 100m champion Jerome Singleton has talked of his great excitement at attending International Paralympic Day in London this Thursday (8 September).

The 25-year-old American sprinter will be one of nearly 100 British and international athletes in Trafalgar Square giving the public a taster of what they can expect at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

In Trafalgar Square, on the day prior to tickets for the Games going on sale, there will be details on all 20 sports to be played in London next year.

There will also be demonstrations in 10 sports including Athletics, Wheelchair Basketball, Powerlifting and Table Tennis, and the man who made history earlier this year by becoming the first man in seven years to beat Oscar Pistorius, cannot wait to be involved.

“I’ve heard a lot good things about it,” Singleton told www.paralympic.org. “I hear it’s a great experience so I’m really, really looking forward to it.

“There is going to be a lot of people there and it’s going to be great to show the British public what Paralympic Sport has to offer. I hope it builds excitement levels ahead of next year.”

Singleton is equally excited about competing next year at the Paralympic Games, especially now he is 100m T44 world champion. In January at the IPC Athletics World Championships, Singleton won a thrilling 100m race which saw the top four finishers separated by just 0.09 seconds.

Jerome Singleton said: “London is going to a big, big deal. Now that I’ve finally beaten my big rival and good friend Oscar, I think it’s going to be amazing.

“Beating Oscar Pistorius, I guess, has been bothering me since 2008.

“Looking at it we are so, so similar. We were born with the same defect. I’m a single leg amputee, he’s a double. Growing up I played football, he played rugby and we’re the same age.

“If you’re two athletes in the same era and you never beat your rival, then you’re never going to win gold.”

Eight months on after possibly the most talked about 100m race ever in the Paralympic Movement, Singleton is clearly still on a high.

“Christchurch was a great confidence booster for me going into London. It showed me that through hard work and dedication anything is possible.

“Winning in Christchurch has changed things. I’m going to be sponsored by a major company for London and I’m really excited by that. And that tells me that between now and London it’s feasible for me to be a full time athlete.”

Singleton was also delighted last week to see Pistorius fly the flag for the Paralympic Movement at the IAAF World Championships and believes it was a great advert for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

“I was really excited to see Oscar out there in Daegu,” explained Singleton. “Being physically disabled should not stop you from doing anything, and see him competing in Daegu showed the calibre of the sport that you are going to see at the Paralympics next year.

“For anyone considering attending the Paralympic Games you can expect to see a great example of the human will that we’ve been given. We’ve overcome challenges and, in your life, you can overcome challenges too.

“So come along to the Games and be ready to be inspired.”